Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – With rotor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-02
2001-05-29
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
With rotor
C324S754090, C324S755090, C324S758010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239592
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to test fixtures for electronic circuits and, more particularly, to test fixtures for simultaneously testing multiple printed circuit boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Complex electronic circuits generally require extensive testing to ensure reliability and quality. This testing often involves measuring electrical parameters at selected points on the circuit board while the circuit is in operation. Modern circuit boards are often multilayered and have components and signal connections on both sides of the board so that it is necessary to have access to both sides in order to complete the testing. Because space is generally limited when circuit boards are mounted in a carrier or mounting device in the final product, it is often difficult to obtain access to the points on the circuit board necessary to complete testing. Consequently, during testing operations, circuit boards are often mounted in special test fixtures. The board can be inserted into such a fixture and temporarily held in place while power and ground are applied to the board so that the selected electrical parameters can be measured when the board is in its actual operational state.
In some cases, it is necessary for several boards to be tested simultaneously because the electronic circuits on each board interact with circuits on the other boards and the boards must be electrically connected together during the test procedure in order to fully test each board. Circuit boards are normally electrically connected to the remainder of the circuitry by means of connectors which establish multiple simultaneous connections. In the case of complex boards, such as mother boards, connections of the board to its normal mounting arrangement may be accomplished by several multiple connector pairs which together require a significant amount of force to mate and unmate.
Consequently, it is desirable to provide a test fixture in which multiple circuit boards can be inserted and electrically connected together during testing.
It is further desirable to provide a test fixture in which multiple circuit boards can be connected with an interconnect mechanism which can be quickly connected and released without requiring time-consuming alignment of the connector portions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the invention, a test fixture holds multiple circuit boards in an edge-to-edge configuration. A sliding interconnect mechanism is mounted on the test fixture and is located between the circuit boards under test. The interconnect mechanism includes an interconnect board on which are mounted pairs of inter-wired frame connectors which mate with the connectors on each of the printed circuit boards to be tested and electrically interconnect the boards. The interconnect mechanism includes guide pins on which the interconnect mechanism slides to accurately align the frame and board connectors and an actuating mechanism to move the interconnect mechanism into position to securely mate the aligned connectors. The actuating mechanism can also be reversed to unmate the connectors and release the boards under test after the tests are completed.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the sliding interconnect mechanism comprises a rigid mounting plate which supports the board to insure alignment accuracy and the strength needed for multiple matings and unmatings of the frame connectors on the interconnect board with the connectors on the circuit boards under test.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4922191 (1990-05-01), Conover
patent: 5793218 (1998-08-01), Oster et al.
Antonuccio Robert S.
Carney James M.
Gonsalves Daniel D.
Holland Timothy M.
Izzicupo William A.
Deb Anjan K.
Kudirka & Jobse LLP
Metjahic Safet
Sun Microsystems Inc.
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